With this ring
by Heaven O. Waits
Summary: Sequel to Moonlight Sonata.  A Selina Kyle  catwoman  and Bruce Wayne  batman  story with Wildcat, Harley, Ivy, Oracle and the Joker.
1. Chapter 1

I toss the blankets aside and scurry out of bed. I grab my cell and dial Bruce. No answer. I call back and leave a text to please call me. Harley is just waking and rubbing her eyes.  
"What's wrong?" she asks as I grab my suitcase.  
"I'm not sure , but I have a bad feeling." I respond while yanking the bottom liner of my bag.  
I begin to recall my dream again while grabbing my cat suit. Harley sits up with her eyes and mouth wide open.  
I toss the costume on the bed. I carefully examine the tiny weapons stored inside. I check my boots and my mask then toss it back in the bag.  
I fidget with my bag worrying of what to say.  
"What are you doing? Where are you going? She asks me.  
(crap! Stall, Selina...stall... I want to do this on my own...too late..She will only follow me...I don't have time to wrestle her. Besides she is going to find out...Guess sooner is now,not later..)  
"I think Batman may be in trouble Harley!"  
"Batman? Batman? He's in Italy?" she yells jumping to her feet.  
"Yes. I met with him last night." I start to leave when she yells.  
"Why? Why would he be here?"  
I tug at the teeth of the zipper and toss it over my shoulder.  
(I can't tell her why he is here, I can't tell her why we are all here. )I stall again grabbing my cell phone.  
"He is here investigating a possible weapon of mass destruction."  
((there that wasn't a total lie...)  
Harley leans into a backbend then reaches under the bed pulling out her costume.  
"I knew I needed to pack this!" she says straightening her torso back up grinning.  
She pivots back and forth the balls of her feet tossing her red, black and white costume into the air. (Jingle Jangle, jingle jangle.)  
I tap at the walls to alert Ivy and Ted to get up.  
We stand on the terrace discussing our next means of action. Ivy is pissed as hell that Harley is coming with us. She eyes me the entire time with a repugnant scowl. I try to lighten the mood and c ough suggesting that we eat breakfast. I reason to them that it will be a long day. I ask Harley to run downstairs and grab us some coffee and croissants.  
As soon as the door shuts I turn to Ivy and Ted. "Maybe we should just tell her the truth?" I reason.  
Ivy twirls her red locks frowning "Why? so she can go ballistic ?" "I knew it was a bad idea bringing her here!"  
"Listen Ivy, she would figure it out eventually. She is smart and quite frankly if the Joker has pals here I would bet on Harley any day of the week to take them out!"  
"True, but if faced with her ex she may actually defend HIM!"  
"Over US?" I shout.  
"Come on? she would DIE for US!" I argue.  
"Yeah and for HIM, she did it all the time remember? Remember all the abuse?" Ivy snaps back stroking a leaf of Ivy on the bodice under her robe.  
"Yeah Ivy but she knows he is no good." "Yeah but she always goes back!" Ivy says with a firm nod.  
Ted chimes in "She's right Selina." "We can't make her choose. She needs to stay out of this."  
Ivy nods. "I don''t want her involved in any of this and if it goes south I am prepared to take the fall. I would rather live my life in jail then let that maniac run free another day!"  
"We all want that and we are willing to take that risk. The Joker is scarey enough but add a weapon of mass destruction in his evil white gloves and we...we have no other choice but to take him out.

"Perhaps we can bring him in?" Wildcat argues.  
"That is the same old song that has been played for too long. Now too manly lives will be at risk." I argue back rolling my eyes.

"Count me in!" Ted says complacent lighting a cigar and looks out toward the ocean..

We pause now wondering how long Harley has been standing in the room.  
"Here's breakfast guys!"  
"What have I missed?" she says eagerly.  
"Oh we were just going over places to begin our search." I say quickly.  
(does she know?)  
We all look at one another in silence.  
We decide to split up. Ivy goes with Harley. I tell Ted I have to make a stop at the Marina first. We grab our gear of costume and weapons and catch a taxi to the marina. We arrive at the dock and I jump out telling Ted to wait. I race aboard the Catalina looking wildy. I dash down the tiny steps yelling "Bruce?" "May I help you?" a voice sounds from below.  
"Oh Alfred! Is he here? Please say he is here. I need to see him!"  
"I apologize Ms. Kyle but Master Bruce is not present."  
"Do you know where he is?"  
"No Ms. Kyle. I thought he would be spending the day with you. He told me to take the day off and get some sun and sea air. I should have known he was up to something."  
"Do you have any idea where he may have gone? I am worried."  
"Worried? Why?"  
"He didn't answer my calls, and...and...and I had a bad dream."  
"Now Ms. Kyle . Do calm down. He is quite capable of taking care of himself. He would never put himself in any situation that he couldn't get out of." (Alfred recalls all the many nights he returned wounded, even times when he thought he would breath his very last breath.)  
"Alfred, cut the bullshit! We all know he puts himself in danger all the time. I fear he is doing that now to keep us from facing the Joker ourselves. Are you going to help me or not?"  
"Perhaps he overslept?" Alfred says with palms out.  
Alfred calls his cell then dials the Villa.  
"No answer. Now let us remain calm I know someone who can locate him."  
He opens a lap top and types. The live chat shows a pretty red head with glasses close up.  
"Hello Al!" the read head says with ease.  
"Good day Oracle, or is it night there?" "Who is that?" she asks pointing into the screen.  
"Oh pardon my manners .Why ,this Ms Selina Kyle."  
"Ms. Kyle this is Oracle." he says waving his hand side to side.  
" I wondered when I would meet you. Congratulations Ms. Kyle!"  
"Uhhh Thank you." "Is this about the wedding? You know this is for emergency use only."  
Alfred nods a slow uneasy no. "Oracle it may be one.. "Oracle, Do you mind checking to see that our Bat is well?"  
She nods and taps on her keyboard. " Let me see what my nav map shows." A huge screen lights up behind her showing her a global map. She zooms in.  
"Busy! He has been busy!"  
Alfred nods.  
"Let me see." she says and taps at her keyboard faster.  
"He evidently took the air glider out early this morning then landed north on the island." She points to a screen behind her. "Hmmm he also seems to have activated some weapons?"  
"weapons?" I shriek.  
"Yes and let me see now. I should be able to contact him now." she says tapping louder.  
"That's odd."  
What?"  
"He's not responding."  
Oracle types some more on a different keyboard.  
"His signal is too weak I keep losing it.  
There must be interference. Let me try to locate him by way of his suit." she clicks nore keys.  
"Nothing...  
Belt?  
Nothing."  
She clicks at another keyboard and spins a dial. "I'm blocked! Impossible! I designed this system!"  
Oracle taps faster frowning and nodding her head frantically. She speaks into a tiny head set then throws it on her desk.  
"I've lost the signal!" "Let me check . No pending me try my back up code.  
What? denied? That's impossible!" Oracle now sits in totally still.  
(I feel sick. I feel like throwing up)  
"Where are you?" Oracle says into the screen while biting her lip.  
"Wait. Let me think. What was he doing last? Who saw him recently?" she asks staring at us through the pc.  
"I did. Last night."  
"Did he mention anything to you?"  
"No."  
"think Selina..."  
"uhh well he mentioned the island and it's dimensions..."  
"go on..."  
"Umm he mentioned the food."  
"what kind?"  
"What does that have to do...  
"He may have bought it at a market there."  
"Oh well he had wines and yes he mentioned the museum and the opera and of a Sphinx parapet...yes he said he had visited it."  
"Master Bruce has gone to all those places before but the only one recently was to the Opera. He had me tend to the menu." Alfred said hurridly.  
Oracle begins to zoom via satellite real time over the opera house.  
"anything else?" she pleads.  
"Uhhhh." I stammer "I suggest you tell us everything now. Did he say anything else Selina?"  
"No."  
"Are you sure?"  
I place my hand over my face in worry.  
"Think!"  
"Anything at all?"

"Ummm well he uhhh gave me this."  
I raise my hand up to the screen.  
"Put that closer to the webcam."  
"ahhhhh push down and twist it."  
"what?"  
"PUSH DOWN AND TWIST THE BAND NOW!" I grab the ring and push and turn. "nothing."  
"Try it the other direction"  
"Oh my god! You have got to be kidding?" I shout. "This is one of his designs." Alfred says eyeying the piece.  
"And I would congratulate you but now is not the time." Alfred says as he inspects the data.  
The bands top now slides neatly under the top layer exposing a hollow space. A tiny chip sits in the center. "Alfred." Oracle says.  
"On it." He replies.  
Alfred grabs a set of tweezers from the bathroom and touches the chip in the center. The chip begins to glow. He slides the disk into a larger disc and inserts it into the side of the laptop. He mimimizes the lap top screen and begins to log in.  
"Got a signal."  
"Where? Where is he?"  
"He's mobile."  
Heading further north.  
Alfred maximizes the laptop screen.  
"He is moving fast"  
Send me the thread and I will see what I can do. I will contact you on your cell with the co-ordinates. He takes his cell phone and uses a barnacle wify tether and sends the link to Oracle after plugging the cell up to the lap top. "Loading now." He says into the screen.  
"Got it. Be in touch...Oracle out."


	2. Chapter 2

Barbara sits back in her chair and stares at the ceiling of the watchtower.  
"What are you up to?" she mutters to herself nervously.  
She spins the chair around and around then stops. She types on her laptop the date she and Batman last spoke. Her folder is labled Dove.  
She clicks it open and re-reads her notes then closes it and types to locate Trump.  
She then re-winds her clock-tower readings on Capri, she pinpoints the exact co-ordinates and guesstimates a time early in the morning. She watches as the past is now revealed before her frame after frame. She watches him until she finally hits freeze.  
He is standing outside the Opera House and a man dressed more old-fashioned is talking to him. She pans in around the two. She angles down and hovers over his back.. She spins to see his face. Every direction she takes he adjusts and keeps his face hidden under the large top hot.  
"It's like he knows I am watching!" she screams hitting the keys.  
She watches the two shake hands and Batman enters the Opera house.  
She grabs her cell and calls Alfred. "He is at the Opera House now. He met with someone, whom appeared friendly but I was unable to make an I.d. face recognition. This guy dodged every angle of my satellite. He is good and worse, now he is gone. I am catching the next flight out.  
"Oracle we need you to monitor. We could lose him again without your help. You must stay there." Alfred argues.  
"You are right. Hurry! "  
"We are waiting for Wildcat to board and we set sail."  
"Wildcat? That's w onderful news. Tell him I said hello and will be in touch soon. Oracle out!"  
Oracle digs deeper for Trump. "Gotcha!" she yells and grabs her purse.

Barbara locates Trump at home and apparently late for work kicking the trash can against the garage. She pulls in blocking the driveway and calls out "Sadie! Sadie? Where are you girl? then screams out to him "Have you seen a black lab running around with a pink collar?"  
The man says "No."

"What you have? she yells "Oh thank God!"  
Trump nods no again and then huffs and says "I said no!" walking up to the car window pissed off. He looks down and sees the barrel of her gun.

"Get in!"  
Ronald gets in the car reluctantly looking around.  
"Now!" Oracle yells.

The skinny man in a suit and tie slides in.  
"Look here's my wallet." he says reaching into his pants.  
"Freeze!" she says pressing the gun beside his head.  
"I don't want your money!" she screams.

"Take it easy!" the man pleads holding his hands out in front.  
Oracle pats him down and slides the seatback. She ties a blindfold over his face and cuffs his wrists in front.

Ronald Trump now known as Ronald Crump balls up his fists in terror as the car jolts out of the cul-de sac.

She burns rubber turning out of the cul-de-sac.  
She lowers the gun and steers one handed.  
"Tell me about your father and Tesla."

"What?"  
"You heard me!" she screams grabbing the gun tighter.

Ronald now slams his feet onto the floorboard in anger. "I knew this day would come. Look leave my family out of this! They don't know anything. We've moved eight times in the last five years. I am tired of running. Don''t you people ever give up?"

"You people?" Oracle asks.

"Yeah FBI." he says rocking his head side to side.

"I'm not FBI." she says with a laugh.

"Then CIA?"

"Look I am not FBI, CIA, I am not a NYPD or even a private eye."

Oracle lifts his blind fold and shows him there are no bullets in the chamber.

"My friend is in trouble and you may be the only one who knows what is really going on."

"Me? I don't know anything! Look I have been through this a hundred times. My father worked for the FBI. He retired from there. He worked with alot of shady cases I am sure but he never talked about them to me. He took his job seriously. He knew if he discussed anything to an outsider he would pay the price as well as anyone close to him"

Oracle slides back on the blindfold and takes an exit toward the freeway.

"I know this isn't easy but your father took the Tesla case. He was the last man on the scene during Tesla's death. I think he found something in his apartment. Something of vital importance. I think he knew how importance so he took it. I think he hid it. I think you know where it is."

"I don''t know what you are talking about!"

"I think you do!" 


	3. Chapter 3

"I know you don't trust me so I am going against my own pact here and sharing with you things about myself." she says checking the rear view mirror.  
Ronald nods as Oracle drives though the dawn of sleepy Gotham. She changes routes then goes east. "We've got company!" she says as she jerks the wheel onto the next exit ramp.  
They stop quickly near the subway. Oracle grabs a large trenchcoat of her fathers in the back and puts it over his head. She tucks the blindfold into her purse and grabs something out of the glovebox.

"Hurry! " she yells.  
"Aren't you going to take the cuffs off?" Oracle grabs the keys and unlocks one wrist as snaps it back on her arm.  
"No." she says with a sour face .  
"Hey!" he yells.  
Oracle nudges him to run. "Hurry there is no time to explain, we have to grab the next train. They board the L within minutes. "They barely sit down when she says "This is our stop. Come on."  
They get off and grab the next train within minutes. They walk through to another car.  
"Think we lost them!" she says with relief.

Ronald looks around at the people. He spots guy reading the paper eyeing them. He seems like a regular guy on his way to work but the tiny spiral wire in his ear tells him otherwise.

"I don't think so." he whispers.

They get off the next exit and scramble through the crowds. We've gotta move fast."  
"Give me your watch."  
"My watch?"  
"Now!" she screams.  
He hands her the watch. She bangs the back open and eyes the battery.  
"You've been bugged!"

Oracle hails a taxi and tells the driver they changed their mind and tosses the watch onto the floorboards and slams the door as the cab drive cusses loudly. They sprint behind a newstand and watch as two men in trench coats stand at the curb looking at taxi.

The two men quickly hail the next cab and vanish.

"We've got to go underground." she whispers.

"Can I trust you to stick with me?"  
"Yes.!" Ronald whispers looking side to side at the people walking by.  
Oracle bends forward and slides the key into the cuff.

Ronald rubs his wrists as they grab another taxi breathing hard. Oracle tells the driver to drop them off at the next corner under the rails of the train. She tells the driver to do a loop and come back for them in 30 minutes.

"yes maam!" the cab driver says snatching the wad of bills.

Ronald and Oracle sprint down the alley and stop. She falls on all floors and starts to tug at a manhole cover.

"What are you doing?" he yells looking around.

"Help me." she yells. "We've gotta get out of here and fast. He lifts the cover and they climb down. Ronald slowly slides the steel circle back then jumps off the last rung with a splash.

"They bugged me?" he screams wading thorough the tunnel after Oracle.

"Yeah and that's the least of our worries." she says turning right onto another tunnel.

They emerge behind the police station. An officer was heading in for work. Oracle eyes the car.

"Come on."  
They run up beside the old red Nissan Sentra. She bends down and grabs the box under the car and finds the key.

"Get in."  
Ronald and Oracle squish into the seats.  
"Uhhh Did we just steal a cops personal car? If you don't mind I would like to go home."

"No. We borrowed it and I know him and will tell him I will have it back before his lunch break. Relax !"

"Was the fist car yours?" he asks.  
"Nope. It was borrowed. That guy was about to get a ticket I did him a favor and put in a public parking zone." Oracle adds.

Oracle reaches into her pocket.  
"I hate to do this but you need to be blindfolded again."

"What? You have got to be kidding?"  
Oracle pulls out a small pistol and points it at him.

"I am not kidding!"

"That isn't loaded!"

"Want to bet?"

She slides on the blindfold and drives through the city.

When she is sure they are not being followed she speaks.

"I decided after witnessing a brutal crime as a child that I wanted to help Gotham and it's relentless fight against crime and corruption. I too have ties with enforcement and have seen what the years can do to the system. I know all of the tainted morals and virtues . I know the system is botched . I know it has deteriated. I worked in dispatch and later in clerical at NYPD . It was there I witnessed pay-offs. I knew about the laundering. Stops at a red light then turns left when the light turns green.  
I saw the secret handshakes of rackettering, drugs, prostitution, even political filanderings all by the aid of money, money that was filthy, money that was stained by innocent blood, money that was searched and seized and never turned in ." She takes another lane.  
"I knew the system was rabid. Don't get me wrong. There are still alot of good people there, they do a valient job that is usually thankless. I admire these people but they are slowly losing in number. Goes into tunnel then merges right.  
I tried in the beginning to fix it. I tried to make it all better, to clean up the mess...but the harder I tried the sadder I became realizing those I trusted to help me were dirty or too afraid to do anything. Takes next exit ahead.  
"I had to fix it my own way."

Oracle turns now to face him. "If you want to help, know that you not only help me and my friend but the entire city. I know enough of Tesla to assume that he was onto something he thought could help the world. I think he didn't stop to think if placed in the wrong hands the damage."  
The car winds up behind an old warehouse where she puts the car in park.

"Look I wish I could help." he said wringing his hands.  
"I don't know anything!" Ronald implores.  
"I have something to show you that may jog your memory."  
She helps him inside the old warehouse then slowly takes the blindfold off.  
"Holy shit!" he screams staring at Oracle's work space.  
"Impressive isn't it?" she says with pride.  
Ronald nods. "It's incredible!"

He looks down at her notes of cases pending of crime scenes, of in-mates soon to be released. He walks toward a wall collage of people ranging from infant to elder all smiling. "Are these people you have helped?" he says shyly.  
"That's a few of them!" Ronald runs his hands through his hair . " Uhhmmm... I think I remember something." He stares back at the screens monitoring the city.

Oracle puts her hand on his shoulder.  
"I was hoping you would say that!" 


	4. Chapter 4

The Catalina turn and sets sail toward Napoli. Alfred checks the opera house for showings. "Ahh here it is. I shall purchase our tickets for the ballet now."  
"Ballet?" Wildcat yells. " Uhhh I don't go to those. Besides I am not dressed for it."  
"Master Bruce has a extensive wardrobe. I shall grab one that will fit you properly." Afred responds.  
I laugh as Wildcat frowns.  
"What is the ballet of Alfred?" I yell into the cabin portal.  
"Madame it is Romeo and Juliet."  
"A classic!" I shout.  
"We missed Tosca the opera two days ago." he adds.  
"Do I have to go?" Wildcat begs.  
"Yes!" we shout in unison.

***At The Opera***  
Wildcat yanks on his tightly fitted shirt as we are handed our tickets and escorted inside,  
We pass through the busy lobby filled with chatty Italians all happy and well dressed. I scan the entire room but no sign of Bruce. We are beginning to climb the staircase to our balconey seats when I hear that LAUGH...That evil, nails on chalkboard, rub you raw laugh from Mr. Insanity. "He's here!" 


	5. Chapter 5

***back at the Watchtower***  
Ronald paces back and forth with his back turned to Oracle watching her screens.  
"My father was involved in investigating the death of Nikola Tesla at the Hotel New Yorker on January 7, 1943."  
Oracle sits down and faces Ronald with eager eyes and ears.  
Ronald turns around faces her."He actually worked with Nikola from time to time. My father was also doctor and an engineer. Tesla at that time was rumoured to have been working on his death ray."  
Ronald stops and grabs a seat. "People said Tesla had become more delusional. Some said Tesla would babble about being visited be a white pigeon daily. I know most of this could be speculation but my dad did tell me he had quirks. Anyway, the only written documents say Tesla died of heartfailure. My dad wondered as they quickly cremated the body and sent his ashes to Belgrade, Serbia."  
"So no real coroner examined him." Oracle mutters.  
Ronald nods yes "It was documented later that Tesla's belongings had been ransacked and that trunks and personal items thrown about. His nephew was said to have pryed open his safe in the hopes of money only to find more papers on inventions.  
Later my father told me that some of Tesla's papers were impounded by the US Alien Custodian Office. My father argued that they had no right to those documents as Tesla was a legal US citizen but they kept his things anyway."  
"My dad knew they were looking for his death ray paperwork. He knew that Tesla had been refused by the U.S. war department."  
"Why buy , what you can steal?" Oracle said with goosebumps.  
"Exactly." Ronald yelled.


	6. Chapter 6

Oracle stands up and grabs her Dove folder and sets it on the desk.  
"I could not locate your father. He has fallen completly off the grid. No physical address, no credit cards, not even a cell phone." Ronald laughs. "That's my dad. He is too smart for them to find. I can only contact him twice a year from a non trace-able phone. In case of emergeny I am told to only call and hang up. He told me in that case he knows to leave for his sake or that I may be in great danger."  
"Please explain." Oracle said taking off her glasses.

Ronald got quiet.  
"My wife died shortly after the birth of our second child. The doctor's said it was implications during the birth but my dad warned that it was all his fault."  
"I am so sorry!"  
"He blames himself. He wanted to turn himself in but I argued that I had spoken to the doctors before surgery about the risks."  
Oracle places her hand on his shoulder.  
"I actually convinced myself that my dad was a bit wacko until today. It has been years since the FBI , CIA who ever they are, were snooping around asking me questions about my dad. They wanted to know when we last met, spoke, where he lives, where he may go, any friends. I told them the same thing I told you. We rarely talk and so what if he pays cash? That's not or crime nor is that he has always moved around place to place. He has few friends, most are now dead and he always loved to travel. As soon as her retired, he pretty much vanished.  
"I need to speak to him." Oracle says monotone.  
"Allright. But expect that he will hang up on you." Ronald says with a smug face.  
"I plan to speak fast. Let it sink in then get my number into his memory for later." Oracle says tapping her finger tips on top of the folder. She grabs her cell and loads the wify teether and turns on her laptop. She slides on her glasses and types quickly to Alfred's chat box. I have found out what B is looking for and we had company..possible g-men. Watch your back and report back asap. O.  
Oracle grabs the folder and opens it up. "There is something I want you to see." she says and hands the folder to Ronald. 


	7. Chapter 7

A Dream In visions of the dark night I have dreamed of joy departed-  
But a waking dream of life and light Hath left me broken-hearted.

Ah! what is not a dream by day To him whose eyes are cast On things around him with a ray Turned back upon the past?

That holy dream- that holy dream,  
While all the world were chiding,  
Hath cheered me as a lovely beam A lonely spirit guiding.

What though that light, thro' storm and night,  
So trembled from afar-  
What could there be more purely bright In Truth's day-star?

Edgar Allan Poe 


	8. Chapter 8

*****Back at the Opera House ***

Wild cat sits appearing uncomfortable fidgeting with his neck and waist. Alfred sits with exceptional poise as the scene begins in fair Verona with Laurence blessing the audience descending steps then moving toward the edge of the stage in small graceful swoops as the audience cheers and claps. He nears two households The Capulets and the Montagues and gestures to each .  
" Two households The Capulets-the Monatagues-both alike in dignity from ancient grudge do ever break in mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean." and enters the father Capulet dressed in red.  
"Good evening father"  
I fade out scanning the audience again but cannot find Bruce or the Joker. I am pulled back to the stage at the sound of the friar " Tybalt-a kinsman he to Lady Capulet. The Prince of Cats, he was named so by son of Montague, my young friend Romeo."  
(prince of cats?)  
I listen to the sounds of church bells as the friar leaps off stage. Alfred slightly turns toward to me nodding no that he has not seen anything either. Wildcat leans over and asks "How much more of this do I have to take?"  
"Shhhh " I whisper as Peter and Balthazar battle on stage with swords.  
I try to remain still and appear watching the ballet but deep inside I was about to scream to stand and shout his name out.  
I hear Romeo dressed in princely blue say " One fairer then my love? I'll go along, no sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendor of mine own."  
Balthasar hands Mercutio and Romeo masks while my heart thumps heavily.  
Music begins to play as the curtain falls back revealing a huge hall filled with dancers. The ballet dancers dance in slow graceful circles. I hear the sweet strains of Allison's Knell as Romeo spins closer to Juliet. He appears to be watching her. Each turn his head moves to fix his eyes only on her.  
He pauses to tell Mercutio "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a jewel in Ethiop's ear. Did my heart love til now?" and he dances again and stops to bow before Juliet. He asks her to dance . My eyes begin to fill with tears recalling my last dance. I clinch my hands tight making my palms bleed. I want to scream again.  
Wildcat makes a sound like a deep sigh of pain.  
The couple now separate from the audience. She is asking her nurse about Romeo pointing as the sounds of Tarleton's Resurrection slowly plays.  
Now comes the part that always makes me sad. Romeo's realization that she is a Capulet and for her that he is a Montague.  
"My only love, sprung from my only hate."  
Tybalt now takes her hand and spins the ballerina around. The dancers move offstage, the music fades , and the curtain drops.  
I watch as Mercutio enters looking for his friend Romeo. "Romeo! Romeo!"  
Romeo is hiding in an archway.  
"Romeo! Madmam! Passion! Lover! " he moves back toward the right appearing to sigh. "speak but one rhyme and I am satisfied! " He jumps onto steps.  
"Cry but ay me. Pronounce but love and dove..." He jumps higher on the steps and leans."Romeo!" He descends and skips toward the exit. Behind the curtain we hear him "Well I'll my truckle bed; For tis vain to seek him here that means not to be found.  
The lights now slowly illuminate Romeo as the audience goes wild with cheer."He jests at scars that never felt a wound." Romeo sits atop the top step as the music builds. A middle curtain opens revealing the balcony. Juliet is there staring at the moon.  
My heart now aches. My throat starts to close. I can barely breath.  
"But soft what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and Juliet is the sun." He rises staring up at the balcony.  
"Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief that though her maid art far more fair than she." He inches closer to the balconey still in darkness.  
"It is my lady; O, it is my love!" O that she knew she were!  
Juliet leans on the railing, left and cups her chin. "See how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O that I were the glove upon her hand, that I might touch that cheek!"  
I turn my binoculars down again searching as the lights are turned up for Juliet.  
I now go row by row. I refuse to move on to the next person until I have seen their face. I get angrier at each face.  
I can hear Juliet ask "Dost thou love me?" as I spin the focus. I am getting agitated.  
"If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully." I am getting ancey. I keep thinking of Bruce. I am worried. I am in love...Then I see him!  
There is Bruce! I lean up and scan his face again.  
He is looking down.  
I hear Juliet "O swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, Or, if thou wilt swear by thy gracious self, and I'll believe thee."  
"If my heart's dear love."  
I look closer. He appears sad. He moves his hand. I spin the focus. He is touching his ring.  
"O wilt though leave me so unsatisfied?" "What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?:  
"The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine."  
I get choked up. I can't take my eyes off of him to tell Alfred and Wildcat. "Three words dear Romeo. If that thy bent of love be honorable, Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow where and what time thou wilt perform the right: and all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay."  
I watch him slowly. He take his hand now and places it inside his shirt. I can see kevlar. I look back at his face. He is looking to the rafters. I turn to the binoculars up but it is too dark. Suddenly a faint light appears and I see a stark white face.

The JOKER!

"We've got company!"  
"About time!" Wildcat yells standing up cluching his fists ready to go. I grab him to sit back down.  
"Who and where Madam?" Alfred calmly asks. I lean my lips to his ears then to Wildcat. (We need a game plan and we need one fast.) 


End file.
